Substrate Processing System

Abstract

To measure the internal state of a substrate processing chamber using a measurement mechanism provided on a substrate holding fork.SOLUTION: A substrate processing system includes: a process module 60 as a substrate processing chamber; a substrate support 110 arranged in the substrate processing chamber and including an electrostatic chuck and an edge ring arranged to surround a substrate W on the electrostatic chuck; a transfer module 50 as a transfer chamber connected to the substrate processing chamber; a transfer mechanism 70 arranged in the transfer chamber and including a transfer arm having a substrate holding fork for transferring the substrate between the substrate processing chamber and the transfer chamber; and a plurality of measurement mechanisms 75 provided on the substrate holding fork for measuring the electrostatic chuck or the edge ring. The plurality of measurement mechanisms include at least two of a potential sensor for measuring a surface potential of the electrostatic chuck, a temperature sensor for measuring a surface temperature of the electrostatic chuck, and a distance sensor for measuring the height of the upper surface of the edge ring.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an etching apparatus equipped with a light spectroscopy monitor that can monitor the film thickness and film quality of reaction products deposited inside an etching chamber. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-003905 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technique according to the present disclosure measures the internal state of a substrate processing chamber using a measurement mechanism provided on a substrate holding fork. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate processing system comprising: a substrate processing chamber; a substrate support disposed within the substrate processing chamber, the substrate support including an electrostatic chuck and an edge ring disposed to surround a substrate on the electrostatic chuck; a transfer chamber connected to the substrate processing chamber; a transfer mechanism disposed within the transfer chamber and configured to transfer a substrate between the substrate processing chamber and the transfer chamber, the transfer mechanism including a transfer arm having a substrate holding fork; and a plurality of measurement mechanisms provided on the substrate holding fork, each measurement mechanism configured to measure the electrostatic chuck or the edge ring, the plurality of measurement mechanisms including at least two of a potential sensor configured to measure a surface potential of the electrostatic chuck, a temperature sensor configured to measure a surface temperature of the electrostatic chuck, and a distance sensor configured to measure a height of an upper surface of the edge ring. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, the internal state of the substrate processing chamber can be measured using a measurement mechanism provided on the substrate holding fork. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a plasma processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing an example of installation of a measurement mechanism according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a processing module according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing another configuration example of the processing module according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how the internal environment of the chamber is measured by a measurement mechanism. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing another configuration example of the processing module according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how the internal environment of the chamber is measured by a measurement mechanism. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the configuration of the wafer transfer mechanism according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, a process gas is supplied to a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter simply referred to as "wafer"), and the wafer is subjected to various plasma processes such as etching, film formation, diffusion, etc. These plasma processes are generally performed inside a process chamber whose interior can be adjusted to a reduced pressure atmosphere.

[0009] In this plasma processing, uniform processing results are required for each of the multiple wafers processed consecutively. However, as plasma processing is repeated for multiple wafers, the environment within the processing chamber changes due to wear of components within the processing chamber and adhesion of reaction by-products, so that uniform processing results may not be obtained even when processing is performed under the same conditions. Therefore, in order to obtain uniform processing results in plasma processing, it is possible to provide components such as sensors to monitor the internal state of the processing chamber and change processing conditions or improve the internal environment (cleaning or component replacement) depending on the internal environment of the processing chamber.

[0010] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a plasma processing apparatus (etching apparatus) equipped with a light spectroscopy monitor for monitoring the film thickness and film quality of reaction products deposited inside a processing chamber (etching chamber). According to the etching apparatus described in Patent Document 1, infrared light is irradiated from a light spectroscopy monitor provided outside the processing chamber toward two reflecting mirrors provided inside the processing chamber.

[0011] However, when components such as sensors are provided inside the processing chamber, like the reflecting mirror attached to the etching chamber of Patent Document 1, there is a risk that these components will deteriorate or be damaged when exposed to the plasma processing space.

[0012] Furthermore, when installing a sensor or the like inside the processing chamber, it may be difficult to install the sensor or the like due to its positional relationship with the structures installed inside the chamber. Furthermore, in order to monitor various environments inside the processing chamber (e.g., reaction by-products, potential, temperature, etc.), it is necessary to install multiple sensors, which may make installing the sensors even more difficult. As such, conventional plasma processing apparatuses have room for improvement in terms of appropriately monitoring the internal environment of the processing chamber.

[0013] The technology disclosed herein has been developed in consideration of the above circumstances, and measures the internal state of a plasma processing chamber using a sensor provided on a substrate holding fork. Hereinafter, a plasma processing system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0014] <Plasma processing system> First, a plasma processing system according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing the outline of the configuration of a plasma processing system 1 according to this embodiment. In the plasma processing system 1, a plasma process such as an etching process, a film formation process, or a diffusion process is performed on a wafer W as a substrate.

[0015] 1, plasma processing system 1 has a configuration in which atmospheric section 10 and decompression section 11 are integrally connected via load lock modules 20 and 21. Atmospheric section 10 includes an atmospheric module that performs a desired process on wafer W in an atmospheric pressure atmosphere. Decompression section 11 includes a decompression module that performs a desired process on wafer W in a decompression atmosphere.

[0016] The load lock modules 20 and 21 are provided to connect a loader module 30 (described later) in the atmospheric section 10 to a transfer module 50 (described later) in the decompression section 11 via gate valves 22 and 23, respectively. The load lock modules 20 and 21 are configured to temporarily hold a wafer W. The load lock modules 20 and 21 are also configured so that their interiors can be switched between an atmospheric pressure atmosphere and a decompression atmosphere (vacuum state).

[0017] The atmospheric section 10 has a loader module 30 equipped with a wafer transfer mechanism 40 (described later), and a load port 32 on which a FOUP 31 capable of storing a plurality of wafers W is placed. Note that an orienter module (not shown) for adjusting the horizontal orientation of the wafer W, a storage module (not shown) for storing a plurality of wafers W, and the like may be provided adjacent to the loader module 30.

[0018] The loader module 30 is made up of a rectangular housing, and the interior of the housing is maintained at atmospheric pressure. A plurality of, for example, five load ports 32 are arranged side by side on one side that constitutes the long side of the housing of the loader module 30. Load lock modules 20 and 21 are arranged side by side on the other side that constitutes the long side of the housing of the loader module 30.

[0019] A wafer transfer mechanism 40 that transfers a wafer W is provided inside the loader module 30. The wafer transfer mechanism 40 has a transfer arm 41 that holds and moves the wafer W, a rotary table 42 that rotatably supports the transfer arm 41, and a rotary table 43 on which the rotary table 42 is mounted. Also, a guide rail 44 that extends in the longitudinal direction of the loader module 30 is provided inside the loader module 30. The rotary table 43 is provided on the guide rail 44, and the wafer transfer mechanism 40 is configured to be movable along the guide rail 44.

[0020] The decompression unit 11 has a transfer module 50 that transfers a wafer W therein, and a processing module 60 that performs a desired process on the wafer W transferred from the transfer module 50. The interiors of the transfer module 50 and the processing module 60 are each maintained in a reduced pressure atmosphere. In this embodiment, a plurality of processing modules 60, for example, eight processing modules 60, are connected to one transfer module 50. The number and arrangement of the processing modules 60 are not limited to those in this embodiment, and can be set as desired.

[0021] The transfer module 50 is made up of a housing with a polygonal interior (pentagonal in the illustrated example), and is connected to the load lock modules 20 and 21 as described above. The transfer module 50 transports the wafer W loaded into the load lock module 20 to one of the processing modules 60, where the wafer W is subjected to the desired processing, and then transports the wafer W to the atmospheric section 10 via the load lock module 21.

[0022] The processing module 60, which serves as a substrate processing chamber, performs plasma processing such as etching, film formation, and diffusion. The processing module 60 can be selected to perform any processing depending on the purpose of wafer processing. The processing module 60 is connected to the transfer module 50 via a gate valve 61. The configuration of the processing module 60 will be described later.

[0023] A wafer transfer mechanism 70 for transferring a wafer W is provided inside the transfer module 50 serving as a transfer chamber. The wafer transfer mechanism 70 includes a transfer arm 71 that holds and moves the wafer W, a rotary table 72 that rotatably supports the transfer arm 71, and a rotary table 73 on which the rotary table 72 is mounted. Also, a guide rail 74 extending in the longitudinal direction of the transfer module 50 is provided inside the transfer module 50. The rotary table 73 is provided on the guide rail 74, and the wafer transfer mechanism 70 is configured to be movable along the guide rail 74.

[0024] 1, the transfer arm 71 has a fork portion 71f at its tip as a substrate holding fork that holds a wafer W. As shown in FIG. 2, the fork portion 71f is provided with various measurement mechanisms 75 that measure the internal environment of the processing module 60. The measurement mechanisms 75 measure the internal environment of the processing module 60 (e.g., the surface potential and temperature of the wafer support portion 110, which will be described later, and the state of adhesion of reaction products (deposits)), for example, when the transfer arm 71 enters the interior of the processing module 60. A method for measuring the internal environment of the processing module 60 using the measurement mechanisms 75 will be described in detail later.

[0025] In the transfer module 50, the transfer arm 71 receives the wafer W held in the load lock module 20 and transfers it to any of the processing modules 60. In addition, the transfer arm 71 holds the wafer W that has been subjected to the desired processing in the processing module 60 and transfers it to the load lock module 21. As described above, the transfer arm 71 (fork portion 71f) of the wafer transfer mechanism 70 is caused to enter the interior of any of the processing modules 60, and the internal environment of that processing module 60 is measured by the measurement mechanism 75.

[0026] The plasma processing system 1 further includes a controller 80 as a control unit. In one embodiment, the controller 80 processes computer-executable instructions that cause the plasma processing system 1 to perform various processes described herein. The controller 80 may be configured to control each of the other elements of the plasma processing system 1 to perform the various processes described herein. In one embodiment, some or all of the controller 80 may be included in the other elements of the plasma processing system 1. The controller 80 may include, for example, a computer 90. The computer 90 may include, for example, a processing unit (CPU: Central Processing Unit) 91, a memory unit 92, and a communication interface 93. The processing unit 91 may be configured to perform various control operations based on programs stored in the memory unit 92. The memory unit 92 may include a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a combination thereof. The communication interface 93 may communicate with other elements of the plasma processing system 1 via a communication line such as a local area network (LAN).

[0027] <Processing module> The plasma processing system 1 according to this embodiment is configured as described above. Next, a detailed configuration of the above-mentioned processing module 60 will be described. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration of the processing module 60.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 3, processing module 60 includes a chamber 100, a wafer support 110, an upper electrode showerhead 120, a gas supply 130, an RF (Radio Frequency) power supply 140, an electromagnet 150, and an exhaust system 160.

[0029] The chamber 100 defines a processing space S in which plasma is generated. The chamber 100 is made of, for example, aluminum. The chamber 100 is connected to ground potential.

[0030] Inside the chamber 100, a wafer support 110 that supports a wafer W is accommodated in a lower region of the processing space S. The wafer support 110 includes a lower electrode 111, an electrostatic chuck 112, and an edge ring 113.

[0031] The lower electrode 111 is made of a conductive metal, such as aluminum, and has a substantially circular plate shape. A coolant flow path (not shown) is formed inside the lower electrode 111. The electrostatic chuck 112, the edge ring 113, and the wafer W can be cooled to a desired temperature by circulating a coolant, such as cooling water, from a chiller unit (not shown) provided outside the chamber 100 through the coolant flow path.

[0032] The electrostatic chuck 112 is provided on the lower electrode 111. The electrostatic chuck 112 is a member configured to be able to attract and hold both the wafer W and the edge ring 113 by electrostatic force. The electrostatic chuck 112 has a central upper surface that is higher than the peripheral upper surface. The central upper surface of the electrostatic chuck 112 serves as a wafer mounting surface on which the wafer W is placed, and the peripheral upper surface of the electrostatic chuck 112 serves as an edge ring mounting surface on which the edge ring 113 is placed.

[0033] A first electrode 114a for attracting and holding the wafer W is provided inside the central portion of the electrostatic chuck 112. A second electrode 114b for attracting and holding the edge ring 113 is provided inside the peripheral portion of the electrostatic chuck 112. The electrostatic chuck 112 has a configuration in which the first electrode 114a and the second electrode 114b are sandwiched between insulating materials.

[0034] A DC voltage is applied to the first electrode 114a from a DC power supply (not shown). The resulting electrostatic force attracts and holds the wafer W on the upper surface of the central portion of the electrostatic chuck 112. Similarly, a DC voltage is applied to the second electrode 114b from a DC power supply (not shown). The resulting electrostatic force attracts and holds the edge ring 113 on the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the electrostatic chuck 112.

[0035] The configuration of the first electrode 114a and the second electrode 114b can be selected arbitrarily, and may be, for example, a monopolar type or a bipolar type. In this embodiment, the central portion of the electrostatic chuck 112 where the first electrode 114a is provided and the peripheral portion where the second electrode 114b is provided are integrated, but the central portion and the peripheral portion may be separate.

[0036] Additionally, first heater 115a and second heater 115b, which are heating elements, are provided below first electrode 114a and second electrode 114b, respectively. A heater power supply (not shown) is connected to first heater 115a and second heater 115b, and by applying a voltage from the heater power supply, wafer support 110, and wafer W and edge ring 113 placed on wafer support 110 are heated to a desired temperature.

[0037] 3, a plurality of first heaters 115a are provided extending inside the electrostatic chuck 112. The plurality of first heaters 115a are configured to be independently controllable, and the temperature of the electrostatic chuck 112 (wafer W) can be independently adjusted for each of a plurality of temperature adjustment regions. The number and shape of the temperature adjustment regions whose temperatures are independently adjusted by the plurality of first heaters 115a can be determined arbitrarily.

[0038] The edge ring 113 is an annular member disposed to surround the wafer W supported on the central upper surface of the electrostatic chuck 112, and a DC voltage is applied to the edge ring 113 from a DC power supply 113a. The edge ring 113 is provided to improve the uniformity of the plasma processing. For this reason, the edge ring 113 is made of a material appropriately selected depending on the plasma processing, and may be made of, for example, Si or SiC.

[0039] The DC power supply 113a is a power supply that applies a negative DC voltage for plasma control to the edge ring 113. The DC power supply 113a is a variable DC power supply that can adjust the level of the DC voltage. The DC power supply 113a is also configured to be able to switch the voltage waveform applied to the edge ring 113 between a pulse wave and a continuous wave (CW).

[0040] Further, below the lower electrode 111 of the wafer support portion 110, a first lift pin 116 and a second lift pin 117 are provided.

[0041] The first lift pins 116 are inserted into through holes that extend from the upper surface of the central portion of the electrostatic chuck 112 to the bottom surface of the lower electrode 111. The first lift pins 116 are formed, for example, from ceramic. Three or more first lift pins 116 are provided at intervals along the circumferential direction of the electrostatic chuck 112. The tips of the first lift pins 116 are configured to be able to protrude and retract from the upper surface of the central portion of the electrostatic chuck 112 by operation of a lift mechanism 116a including a drive unit (not shown), thereby allowing the wafer W supported on the upper surface of the central portion of the electrostatic chuck 112 to be lifted and lowered.

[0042] The second lift pins 117 are inserted into through holes that extend from the upper surface of the peripheral edge of the electrostatic chuck 112 to the bottom surface of the lower electrode 111. The second lift pins 117 are made of, for example, alumina, quartz, or stainless steel. Three or more second lift pins 117 are provided at intervals along the circumferential direction of the electrostatic chuck 112. The tip portions of the second lift pins 117 are configured to be able to protrude and retract from the upper surface of the peripheral edge of the electrostatic chuck 112 by operation of a lift mechanism 117a including a drive unit (not shown). This allows the edge ring 113, which is supported on the upper surface of the peripheral edge of the electrostatic chuck 112, to be able to be raised and lowered.

[0043] The wafer support 110 is also formed with a gas flow path (not shown) for supplying a heat transfer gas (backside gas) such as helium gas to the backside of the wafer W supported on the upper surface of the electrostatic chuck 112. A gas supply source (not shown) is connected to the gas flow path, and the wafer W supported on the electrostatic chuck 112 can be controlled to a desired temperature by the heat transfer gas from the gas supply source.

[0044] The upper electrode showerhead 120 is disposed above and facing the wafer support 110 and may function as part of the ceiling of the chamber 100. The upper electrode showerhead 120 is configured to supply one or more process gases from a gas supply unit 130 to the process space S. In one embodiment, the upper electrode showerhead 120 includes a gas inlet 120 a, a gas diffusion chamber 120 b, and multiple gas outlets 120 c. The gas inlet 120 a is in fluid communication with the gas supply unit 130 and the gas diffusion chamber 120 b. The multiple gas outlets 120 c are in fluid communication with the gas diffusion chamber 120 b and the process space S. In one embodiment, the upper electrode showerhead 120 is configured to supply one or more process gases from the gas inlet 120 a to the process space S via the gas diffusion chamber 120 b and the multiple gas outlets 120 c.

[0045] The gas supply 130 may include one or more gas sources 131 and one or more flow controllers 132. In one embodiment, the gas supply 130 is configured to supply one or more process gases from corresponding gas sources 131 to the gas inlet 120a through corresponding flow controllers 132. Each flow controller 132 may include, for example, a mass flow controller or a pressure-controlled flow controller. Additionally, the gas supply 130 may include one or more flow modulation devices to modulate or pulse the flow rate of one or more process gases.

[0046] The RF power supply 140 is configured to supply RF power, e.g., one or more RF signals, to one or more electrodes, such as the lower electrode 111, the upper electrode showerhead 120, or both the lower electrode 111 and the upper electrode showerhead 120. This generates a plasma from one or more process gases supplied to the process space S. Thus, the RF power supply 140 may function as at least a part of a plasma generating unit configured to generate a plasma from one or more process gases in the chamber 100. In one embodiment, the RF power supply 140 includes two RF generators 141 a, 141 b and two matching circuits 142 a, 142 b. In one embodiment, the RF power supply 140 is configured to supply a first RF signal from the first RF generator 141 a to the lower electrode 111 via the first matching circuit 142 a. For example, the first RF signal may have a frequency in the range of 27 MHz to 100 MHz.

[0047] In one embodiment, the RF power supply unit 140 is configured to supply a second RF signal from a second RF generating unit 141b to the lower electrode 111 via a second matching circuit 142b. For example, the second RF signal may have a frequency in the range of 400 kHz to 13.56 MHz. Alternatively, a DC (Direct Current) pulse generating unit may be used in place of the second RF generating unit 141b.

[0048] Furthermore, although not shown, other embodiments are contemplated in this disclosure. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the RF power supply 140 may be configured to supply a first RF signal from an RF generator to the lower electrode 111, a second RF signal from another RF generator to the lower electrode 111, and a third RF signal from yet another RF generator to the lower electrode 111. Additionally, in another alternative embodiment, a DC voltage may be applied to the upper electrode showerhead 120.

[0049] Still further, in various embodiments, the amplitude of one or more RF signals (i.e., the first RF signal, the second RF signal, etc.) may be pulsed or modulated. Amplitude modulation may include pulsing the RF signal amplitude between an on state and an off state, or between two or more different on states.

[0050] An electromagnet 150 is provided above the upper electrode showerhead 120. The electromagnet 150 has a core member 151, a plurality of coils 152, and an excitation circuit 153 electrically connected to the coils 152. In the electromagnet 150, a magnetic field for uniformly controlling the plasma formed inside the processing space S can be generated by supplying a current from the excitation circuit 153 to at least one of the coils 152.

[0051] The exhaust system 160 may be connected to, for example, an exhaust port 100e provided at the bottom of the chamber 100. The exhaust system 160 may include a pressure valve and a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump may include a turbomolecular pump, a roughing pump, or a combination thereof.

[0052] Although various exemplary embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, and various additions, omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made. Furthermore, elements in different embodiments may be combined to form other embodiments.

[0053] For example, in the above embodiment, the DC power supply 113a is connected independently to the edge ring 113, but as shown in Fig. 4, the DC power supply 113a may be connected to the edge ring 113 via the lower electrode 111. Also, for example, instead of the DC power supply 113a, the RF power supply unit 140 connected to the lower electrode 111 may be branched and connected to the edge ring 113.

[0054] <Wafer processing method> The processing module 60 according to this embodiment is configured as described above. Next, the wafer processing performed using the plasma processing system 1 and the processing module 60 will be described.

[0055] First, the FOUP 31 storing a plurality of wafers W is placed on the load port 32, and the wafers W are removed from the FOUP 31 by the wafer transfer mechanism 40. Next, the gate valve 22 of the load lock module 20 is opened, and the wafers W are loaded into the load lock module 20 by the wafer transfer mechanism 40.

[0056] In the load lock module 20, the gate valve 22 is closed to seal the inside of the load lock module 20, and then the inside of the load lock module 20 is depressurized to a desired vacuum level. After the inside of the load lock module 20 is depressurized, the gate valve 23 is then opened, and the inside of the load lock module 20 and the inside of the transfer module 50 are connected to each other.

[0057] When gate valve 23 is opened, wafer W in load lock module 20 is transferred to transfer module 50 by wafer transfer mechanism 70, and gate valve 23 is closed. Next, gate valve 61 of one processing module 60 is opened, and wafer W is loaded into processing module 60 by wafer transfer mechanism 70. When wafer W is loaded into processing module 60, gate valve 61 is closed, and chamber 100 of processing module 60 is sealed.

[0058] In the processing module 60, first, the wafer W is placed on the electrostatic chuck 112 by raising and lowering the first lift pins 116. Then, a DC voltage is applied to the electrodes of the electrostatic chuck 112, whereby the wafer W is electrostatically attracted and held on the electrostatic chuck 112 by electrostatic force. After the wafer W is loaded, the inside of the chamber 100 is depressurized to a desired vacuum level by the exhaust system 160.

[0059] Next, a processing gas is supplied from the gas supply unit 130 to the processing space S via the upper electrode showerhead 120. Furthermore, the RF power supply unit 140 supplies high-frequency power HF for plasma generation to the lower electrode 111 to excite the processing gas and generate plasma. At this time, the RF power supply unit 140 may also supply high-frequency power LF for ion attraction. At this time, a current is supplied to the coil 152 of the electromagnet 150 to generate a magnetic field inside the processing space S, thereby uniformly controlling the plasma formed inside the processing space S. The generated plasma then acts to perform the desired plasma processing on the wafer W.

[0060] During plasma processing, the temperatures of the wafer W and edge ring 113 attracted and held on the electrostatic chuck 112 are adjusted by a temperature control module (first heater 115a, second heater 115b, and a coolant circulating through a coolant flow path). At this time, in order to efficiently transfer heat to the wafer W, a heat transfer gas such as He gas or Ar gas is supplied toward the back surface (holding surface) of the wafer W attracted to the upper surface of the electrostatic chuck 112.

[0061] When plasma processing is terminated, first, the supply of high frequency power HF from the RF power supply unit 140 and the supply of processing gas from the gas supply unit 130 are stopped. If high frequency power LF has been supplied during plasma processing, the supply of the high frequency power LF is also stopped. Furthermore, the supply of current to the coil 152 of the electromagnet 150 is also stopped. Next, the supply of heat transfer gas to the backside of the wafer W is stopped, and the electrostatic chuck 112 stops attracting and holding the wafer W.

[0062] Thereafter, the wafer W is raised by the first lift pins 116, and the wafer W is detached from the electrostatic chuck 112. At the time of this detachment, a charge removal process may be performed on the wafer W. Next, the gate valve 61 is opened, and the wafer W is unloaded from the processing module 60 by the wafer transfer mechanism 70. After the wafer W is unloaded from the processing module 60, the gate valve 61 is closed.

[0063] Next, the gate valve 23 of the load lock module 21 is opened, and the wafer W is loaded into the load lock module 21 by the wafer transfer mechanism 70. In the load lock module 21, the gate valve 23 is closed to seal the inside of the load lock module 21, and then the inside of the load lock module 21 is opened to the atmosphere. After the inside of the load lock module 21 is opened to the atmosphere, the gate valve 22 is then opened, and the inside of the load lock module 21 and the inside of the loader module 30 are connected to each other.

[0064] When gate valve 22 is opened, wafer W in load lock module 21 is transferred to loader module 30 by wafer transfer mechanism 40, and gate valve 22 is closed. Thereafter, wafer W is returned to and accommodated in FOUP 31 placed on load port 32 by wafer transfer mechanism 40. Thereafter, similar processing is successively performed on multiple wafers W accommodated in FOUP 31, and when processing for all wafers W is completed, the series of wafer processing operations in plasma processing system 1 ends.

[0065] In wafer processing in the plasma processing system 1, prior to plasma processing of a wafer W in the processing module 60, a dry cleaning process may be performed as appropriate to remove reaction products (deposits) adhering to the inside of the chamber 100 of the processing module 60. That is, deposits generated and attached by plasma processing of one wafer W may be removed prior to the start of plasma processing of the next wafer W. This prevents the deposits from peeling off or falling off during plasma processing and adhering to the next wafer W, allowing the next wafer W to be appropriately plasma processed.

[0066] Here, when plasma processing is performed using processing module 60, it is required that the processing results for the multiple wafers W processed successively be uniform, that is, that the quality of the semiconductor devices as products be uniform. However, as described above, when plasma processing is performed successively in one processing module 60, the internal environment of chamber 100 changes due to wear of components, adhesion of reaction by-products (deposits), etc., and as a result, there is a risk that uniform processing results will not be obtained for the multiple wafers W.

[0067] Therefore, in the plasma processing system 1 according to this embodiment, as described above, the transfer arm 71 that enters the processing module 60 when the wafer W is transferred into or out of the processing module 60 is provided with a measurement mechanism 75. The measurement mechanism 75 measures the internal environment of the chamber 100 of the processing module 60, and the measurement result is fed back to the processing process of the wafer W.

[0068] 5, the transfer arm 71 of the wafer transfer mechanism 70 is inserted into the chamber 100, and in this state, the internal environment of the chamber 100 is measured by a measurement mechanism 75 attached to the fork portion 71f of the transfer arm 71. The timing for measuring the internal environment of the chamber 100 by the measurement mechanism 75 can be determined arbitrarily. For example, as described above, the measurement may be performed when the wafer W is transferred into or out of the processing module 60, or the measurement may be performed independently of the transfer of the wafer W. In other words, the internal environment of the chamber 100 may be measured when the wafer W is held on the transfer arm 71, or may be measured when the wafer W is not held on the transfer arm 71.

[0069] <Method for measuring internal environment and feedback control> The following describes the "internal environment" of chamber 100 measured by measurement mechanism 75 and an example of a feedback control method performed based on the measurement results. In the following description, among wafers W successively processed in processing module 60, a wafer W to be subjected to plasma processing first may be simply referred to as a "first wafer W," and a wafer W to be processed after the first wafer W may be simply referred to as a "last wafer W."

[0070] (1) Surface potential of the electrostatic chuck 112 The surface potential of the electrostatic chuck 112 when attracting and holding a subsequent wafer W may be different from the surface potential when attracting and holding the previous wafer W, for example, due to the influence of residual charges during plasma processing of the previous wafer W. If the surface potentials when attracting and holding the previous wafer W are different in this way, the attracting force of the electrostatic chuck 112 on the previous wafer W and the subsequent wafer W changes. As a result, the amount of heat transferred from the electrostatic chuck 112 to the wafer W during plasma processing changes, i.e., the temperature of the wafer W during plasma processing changes, which may result in non-uniform plasma processing results for the previous wafer W and the subsequent wafer W.

[0071] Therefore, in this embodiment, a potential sensor for detecting the surface potential of the electrostatic chuck 112 may be employed as the measuring mechanism 75 on the lower surface of the fork portion 71f, which is the surface facing the electrostatic chuck 112. In this case, the amount of DC voltage applied from a DC power supply (not shown) to the first electrode 114a can be controlled so that the surface potentials of the first wafer W and the second wafer W are constant when they are attracted and held.

[0072] Specifically, for example, when a wafer W is loaded into the processing module 60, the surface potential of the electrostatic chuck 112 is measured by the measurement mechanism 75 (potential sensor) before the electrostatic chuck 112 attracts and holds the wafer W. Then, the difference between the measured surface potential and a predetermined reference surface potential is reflected in the attracting potential of the electrostatic chuck 112, thereby controlling the surface potential at a constant level when attracting the previous wafer W and the subsequent wafer W.

[0073] The "reference surface potential" may be, for example, the measurement result obtained when the wafer W was previously loaded, or a value arbitrarily set when setting up the processing module 60.

[0074] In the above description, the amount of DC voltage applied from a DC power supply (not shown) is controlled based on the measurement results of the measurement mechanism 75 (potential sensor), but the method of controlling the surface potential is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, an ionizer 200 may be provided to supply ionized gas toward the upper surface of the electrostatic chuck 112, and the upper surface of the electrostatic chuck 112 may be neutralized based on the measurement results of the measurement mechanism 75 (potential sensor).

[0075] (2) Surface temperature of the electrostatic chuck 112 The surface temperature of the electrostatic chuck 112 when attracting and holding the subsequent wafer W may be different from the surface temperature when attracting and holding the previous wafer W due to, for example, a change in the ambient temperature during plasma processing or a change in the amount of heat transferred from the electrostatic chuck 112 to the wafer W. If the surface temperatures when attracting and holding the wafer W are different in this way, as described above, the plasma processing results of the previous wafer W and the subsequent wafer W may not be uniform.

[0076] Therefore, in this embodiment, a temperature sensor for detecting the surface temperature of the electrostatic chuck 112 may be employed as the measuring mechanism 75 on the lower surface of the fork portion 71f, which is the surface facing the electrostatic chuck 112. In this case, the amount of voltage applied from a heater power supply (not shown) to the first heater 115a can be controlled so that the surface temperatures of the first wafer W and the second wafer W are constant when they are attracted and held.

[0077] Specifically, for example, when a wafer W is loaded into the processing module 60, the surface temperature of the electrostatic chuck 112 is measured by the measurement mechanism 75 (temperature sensor) before the electrostatic chuck 112 attracts and holds the wafer W. Then, the difference value between the measured surface temperature and a predetermined reference surface temperature is reflected in the voltage applied by a heater power supply (not shown), thereby controlling the surface temperature to be constant when attracting the previous wafer W and the subsequent wafer W.

[0078] The "reference surface temperature" mentioned above may be, for example, the measurement result obtained when the wafer W was previously loaded, or may be a value arbitrarily set when setting up the processing module 60.

[0079] As described above, in the processing module 60 according to this embodiment, multiple first heaters 115a are installed inside the electrostatic chuck 112, enabling the surface temperature of the electrostatic chuck 112 to be adjusted for each temperature control region. Therefore, when a temperature sensor is used as the measurement mechanism 75, it is preferable that the measurement mechanism 75 (temperature sensor) measures the surface temperature at multiple points on the upper surface of the electrostatic chuck 112 and controls the temperature for each temperature control region. In this case, for example, multiple measurement mechanisms 75 (temperature sensors) may be installed on the fork portion 71f of the transfer arm 71. Furthermore, the control unit 80 may control the movement of the transfer arm 71 so that the fork portion 71f of the transfer arm 71, more specifically, the measurement mechanism 75, is moved arbitrarily above the electrostatic chuck 112.

[0080] In the above description, the amount of voltage applied from the heater power supply (not shown) is controlled based on the measurement results from the measurement mechanism 75 (temperature sensor), but the method of controlling the surface temperature is not limited to this. For example, instead of controlling the amount of voltage applied from the heater power supply, the temperature of the first heater 115a may be controlled by making the start time of the process on the wafer W in the processing module 60 variable, that is, by changing the application time of the voltage from the heater power supply.

[0081] (3) Adhesion deposits inside the chamber 100 During plasma processing of a wafer W in the processing module 60, reaction products (deposits) are generated and adhere to, for example, the wall surfaces of the chamber 100 and the wafer support 110. If plasma processing is performed on a wafer W with an excessive amount of deposits attached inside the chamber 100, the deposits that had adhered to the wall surfaces of the chamber 100 may peel off and scatter during the plasma processing. As a result, the peeled and scattered deposits may adhere to the wafer W being processed, which may result in uneven plasma processing results between the previous wafer W and the subsequent wafer W. Furthermore, the amount (adhesion amount) and location of deposits generated during plasma processing vary depending on the conditions of the plasma processing (e.g., processing gas flow rate, processing temperature, etc.), and therefore it is necessary to appropriately detect the location and amount of deposits attached inside the chamber 100.

[0082] Therefore, in this embodiment, an imaging mechanism (e.g., a CCD camera) for detecting the wall surface of the chamber 100 and the wafer support portion 110 may be employed in the fork portion 71f as the measurement mechanism 75. In this case, the conditions for the subsequent plasma processing of the wafer W (e.g., the internal pressure of the chamber 100, the processing gas flow rate, the power of the RF signal, etc.) can be controlled so that the deposits adhered thereto do not peel off or scatter during the subsequent plasma processing of the wafer W.

[0083] Specifically, for example, when a previous wafer W is unloaded from the processing module 60, the measurement mechanism 75 (imaging mechanism) captures an image of the wall surface of the chamber 100 and the surface of the wafer support part 110. Then, based on the amount of change between the deposition state of the deposits inside the chamber 100 obtained by the image capture and a predetermined reference deposition state of the deposits, the conditions for the plasma processing of the subsequent wafer W are optimized, thereby suppressing the occurrence of peeling or scattering of the deposits during the plasma processing of the subsequent wafer W.

[0084] The above-mentioned "reference deposit adhesion state" may be, for example, the image capture results obtained when the wafer W was previously removed, or may be a state arbitrarily determined when setting up the processing module 60, for example.

[0085] The image plane to be imaged by the measurement mechanism 75 (imaging mechanism) can be determined appropriately depending on, for example, the conditions of the plasma processing on the wafer W, and may be selectively imaged from the side wall surface or ceiling surface inside the chamber 100, or the top surface or side surface of the wafer support part 110. For example, if the surface to which deposits are likely to adhere due to the plasma processing conditions is known, only one surface to which deposits are likely to adhere may be imaged, or multiple surfaces may be imaged. In this case, when imaging the ceiling surface of the chamber 100, it is desirable to install the measurement mechanism 75 (imaging mechanism) in a position where it does not interfere with the wafer W held on the transfer arm 71.

[0086] Furthermore, the number of measuring mechanisms 75 (imaging mechanisms) installed on the fork portion 71f is not particularly limited, and multiple measuring mechanisms 75 (imaging mechanisms) may be installed, or one measuring mechanism 75 (imaging mechanism) may be configured to be able to image multiple surfaces within the chamber 100.

[0087] In the above description, the plasma processing conditions for the subsequent wafer W are changed in accordance with the amount of change from the reference adhesion state, but if, for example, there is a large amount of deposit adhesion inside the chamber 100, control may be performed so that a dry cleaning process, i.e., a process for removing the deposits, is performed prior to the plasma processing for the subsequent wafer W. In such a case, the conditions for the dry cleaning process (e.g., the flow rate of the cleaning gas, cleaning time, etc.) may be adjusted in accordance with the amount of deposit adhesion.

[0088] In the above explanation, an example was given of imaging the interior of the chamber 100 when the wafer W was first removed from the processing module 60, but the transport arm 71 may also be caused to enter the interior of the chamber 100 independently of the removal of the wafer W, and imaging of the deposit may also be performed.

[0089] (4) Height position of edge ring 113 The edge ring 113 provided inside the chamber 100 is a consumable part that is worn out by plasma processing, and the height position of the upper surface of the edge ring 113 may decrease as plasma processing is repeated on multiple wafers W. If the height position of the upper surface of the edge ring 113 changes in this way, the position of the sheath edge formed inside the processing space S during plasma processing changes, which may result in non-uniform plasma processing results for the previous wafer W and the subsequent wafer W.

[0090] Therefore, in this embodiment, a distance sensor for detecting the height position of the upper surface of edge ring 113 may be employed as measurement mechanism 75 on the lower surface of fork portion 71f, which faces the upper surface of edge ring 113. In this case, the elevation of second lift pins 117 can be controlled so that the height position of the upper surface of edge ring 113 remains constant during plasma processing of the first wafer W and the second wafer W. In other words, the height position of edge ring 113 is adjusted by driving second lift pins 117, thereby controlling so that the sheath end position does not change during plasma processing.

[0091] Specifically, for example, when a wafer W is loaded into the processing module 60, the measuring mechanism 75 (distance sensor) measures the height position of the top surface of the edge ring 113. Then, prior to plasma processing of the wafer W, the second lift pins 117 are raised and lowered based on the difference between the measured height position of the top surface and a predetermined reference height position of the top surface, thereby controlling the height position of the top surface of the edge ring 113 to be constant during plasma processing of the previous wafer W and the next wafer W.

[0092] In addition, the total wear amount of the edge ring 113, i.e., the total lift amount of the second lift pin 117, may be recorded in the control device 80, and when this total wear amount (total lift amount) reaches a predetermined threshold, the operator may be notified that the edge ring 113 needs to be replaced.

[0093] In addition, when the measurement mechanism 75 detects a change in the height position of the upper surface of the edge ring 113 in this manner, instead of or in addition to adjusting the height position of the edge ring 113 by driving the second lifting pin 117, the amount of DC voltage applied to the edge ring 113 from the DC power supply 113a may be controlled in accordance with the amount of wear of the edge ring 113.

[0094] Specifically, even if the sheath height of the edge ring 113 decreases due to wear of the edge ring 113, the sheath height of the edge ring 113 can be increased by increasing the DC voltage applied to the edge ring 113. In other words, this makes it possible to control the sheath edge position so that it does not change during plasma processing, and it is possible to uniformly control the plasma processing results of the first wafer W and the second wafer W.

[0095] (5) Holding position of edge ring 113 Furthermore, the distance sensor serving as the measuring mechanism 75 can detect whether the replaced edge ring 113 is properly held against the peripheral edge of the electrostatic chuck 112 or not.

[0096] Specifically, while performing measurements using, for example, the measurement mechanism 75 (distance sensor), the transfer arm 71 is moved from the outer side to the inner side in the radial direction above the electrostatic chuck 112 to detect the horizontal gap between the edge ring 113 and the central portion of the electrostatic chuck 112. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 7 , the horizontal length L of the gap G is detected based on the difference between the height position of the top surface of the edge ring 113, the height position of the central portion of the electrostatic chuck 112, and the height position measured at the gap (gap G) between them. If the length L of the gap G is not constant in the circumferential direction, it is determined that the edge ring 113 is held eccentrically with respect to the electrostatic chuck 112, and, for example, an operation to replace the edge ring 113 (an operation to hold the edge ring 113 on the electrostatic chuck 112) is performed again.

[0097] In the above explanation, the holding position of the edge ring 113 is detected by a distance sensor as the measurement mechanism 75, but the holding position of the edge ring 113 can also be properly detected if an imaging mechanism (e.g., a CCD camera) is used as the measurement mechanism 75.

[0098] (6) Magnetic field formed inside the chamber 100 In order to generate plasma uniformly inside the processing space S, the magnetic field generated by the electromagnet 150 may have a magnetic force distribution that changes due to, for example, wear of the electromagnet 150 or changes in the geometric positional relationship inside the chamber 100 due to the adhesion of deposits. If the magnetic force distribution of the magnetic field formed inside the processing space S changes in this way, the uniformity of the plasma generated inside the processing space may deteriorate, and as a result, the plasma processing results of the first wafer W and the second wafer W may not be uniform.

[0099] Therefore, in this embodiment, a magnetic sensor for measuring the magnetic force distribution of the magnetic field formed inside the processing space S may be employed as the measurement mechanism 75 on the upper surface of the fork portion 71f, which is the surface facing the processing space S. In this case, the amount of current supplied from the excitation circuit 153 to the coil 152 can be controlled so that the magnetic field (magnetic force distribution) is constant when the first wafer W and the second wafer W are plasma processed.

[0100] Specifically, for example, a magnetic field is generated inside the processing space S when there is no wafer W inside the processing module 60 (when the wafer W is not held by the transfer arm 71), and the magnetic force distribution of the generated magnetic field is measured by the measurement mechanism 75 (magnetic sensor). If the measured magnetic force distribution changes from a predetermined reference magnetic force distribution (initial distribution), the current applied from the excitation circuit 153 to the coil 152 is adjusted.

[0101] Although various exemplary embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, and various additions, omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made. Furthermore, elements in different embodiments may be combined to form other embodiments.

[0102] <Effects of the Technique of the Present Disclosure> As described above, in the plasma processing system 1 according to this embodiment, the measurement mechanism 75 is provided on the transfer arm 71 of the wafer transfer mechanism 70, more specifically, on the fork portion 71f of the transfer arm 71. This allows the internal environment of the chamber 100 to be appropriately measured, for example, when the wafer transfer mechanism 70 transfers the wafer W into or out of the processing module 60. Then, by adjusting (feedback-controlling) the plasma processing process for the wafer W based on the measurement results by the measurement mechanism 75, it is possible to uniformly control the processing results of each wafer W that is processed successively in the processing module 60.

[0103] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the measurement mechanism 75 for measuring the internal environment of the chamber 100 is mounted on the transfer arm 71, which is located outside the chamber 100 during plasma processing, and is therefore not affected by the plasma processing. In other words, the measurement mechanism 75 is not worn out by the plasma processing in the processing module 60, and therefore the cost and time required for replacing components due to deterioration or damage can be appropriately reduced.

[0104] As described above, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which a potential sensor, a magnetic sensor, or the like is independently provided as the measurement mechanism 75 on the fork portion 71f of the transfer arm 71, but it goes without saying that a combination of multiple types of measurement mechanisms 75 may be installed on the fork portion 71f of the transfer arm 71. That is, for example, one or more types of measurement mechanisms 75 to be attached to the fork portion 71f may be selected depending on the type and conditions of plasma processing performed inside the processing module 60, or, for example, all of the above-mentioned types of measurement mechanisms 75 may be attached to the fork portion 71f.

[0105] Furthermore, for example, when multiple transfer arms 71 are provided inside the transfer module 50, the type of measurement mechanism 75 to be attached may be selected for each of the multiple transfer arms 71. In this case, for example, by selecting the type of measurement mechanism 75 for each function of the multiple transfer arms 71, it is possible to efficiently measure the internal environment and perform feedback control for the plasma treatment process.

[0106] 8, the wafer transfer mechanism 70 may include a first transfer arm 71a that is primarily used to transfer the wafer W into the processing module 60, and a second transfer arm 71b that is primarily used to transfer the wafer W out of the processing module 60. In this case, for example, by providing the first transfer arm 71a with a potential sensor, a temperature sensor, and a distance sensor, various internal environments can be measured when the wafer W is transferred into the chamber 100. Furthermore, for example, by providing the second transfer arm 71b with an imaging mechanism, the state of deposition inside the chamber 100 after plasma processing can be detected when the wafer W is transferred out.

[0107] In this way, it is possible to arbitrarily determine the number, types, and combinations of measurement mechanisms 75 to be attached to the fork portion 71f of the transfer arm 71. Naturally, the types of measurement mechanisms 75 are not limited to the above-mentioned potential sensors, temperature sensors, imaging mechanisms, distance sensors, and magnetic sensors, and other types of measurement mechanisms 75 can be selected depending on the purpose.

[0108] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the internal environment of chamber 100 is measured by measurement mechanism 75 and the plasma treatment process is adjusted based on the measurement results, but, for example, in addition to measuring the internal environment of chamber 100, the state of wafer W held by transfer arm 71 may also be measured. By adjusting the plasma treatment process based on both the internal environment of chamber 100 and the state of the held wafer W, it is possible to more appropriately control the processing results of wafer W in treatment module 60 to be uniform.

[0109] In the above embodiment, the internal environment is measured by the measurement mechanism 75, for example, when a wafer W is loaded into or unloaded from the processing module 60, and the plasma processing process is adjusted based on the measurement results. However, the timing of measuring the internal environment by the measurement mechanism 75 is not limited to this, and the transfer arm 71 may be inserted into the chamber 100 to measure the internal environment, for example, when performing periodic diagnosis or calibration of the processing module 60.

[0110] In the above embodiment, the technology according to the present disclosure has been described as being applied to a plasma processing system 1 that performs plasma processing on wafers W. However, the technology according to the present disclosure is not limited to this plasma processing system 1, and can be applied to any system. That is, in a system that transports wafers W to a processing module using a wafer transport mechanism equipped with a fork, providing a measurement mechanism on the fork can appropriately control the processing results for multiple wafers W to be uniform. Furthermore, the system to which the technology according to the present disclosure is applied is not limited to a reduced-pressure processing system that processes wafers W under reduced pressure as shown in the present embodiment, but may also be an atmospheric-pressure system that processes wafers W under atmospheric pressure.

[0111] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive, and the above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1. Plasma Processing System 50 Transfer Module 60 Processing Modules 70 Wafer transport mechanism 71f Fork section 75 Measuring mechanism 80 Control device W wafer

Claims

1. a substrate processing chamber; a substrate support disposed within the substrate processing chamber, the substrate support including an electrostatic chuck and an edge ring disposed to surround a substrate on the electrostatic chuck; a transfer chamber connected to the substrate processing chamber; a transfer mechanism disposed within the transfer chamber and configured to transfer substrates between the substrate processing chamber and the transfer chamber, the transfer mechanism including a transfer arm having a substrate holding fork; a plurality of measurement mechanisms provided on the substrate holding fork, each measurement mechanism configured to measure the electrostatic chuck or the edge ring; Equipped with The plurality of measurement mechanisms include: an electric potential sensor configured to measure a surface electric potential of the electrostatic chuck; a temperature sensor configured to measure a surface temperature of the electrostatic chuck; a distance sensor configured to measure the height of a top surface of the edge ring; including at least two of Substrate processing system.

2. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of measurement mechanisms includes the potential sensor.

3. a chuck electrode disposed within the electrostatic chuck; a DC power supply electrically connected to the chuck electrode; 3. The substrate processing system according to claim 2, further comprising: a control unit configured to control a voltage applied to the chuck electrode from the DC power supply based on a measurement result of the potential sensor.

4. an ionizer configured to neutralize a surface of the electrostatic chuck; a control unit configured to control the ionizer to neutralize the surface of the electrostatic chuck based on a measurement result of the potential sensor; The substrate processing system of claim 2 , further comprising:

5. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of measurement mechanisms includes the temperature sensor.

6. a temperature control module configured to adjust a surface temperature of the electrostatic chuck; a control unit configured to control the temperature adjustment module to adjust the surface temperature of the electrostatic chuck to a target temperature based on a measurement result of the temperature sensor; The substrate processing system of claim 5 , further comprising:

7. The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of measurement mechanisms includes the distance sensor.

8. a lifting mechanism configured to lift and lower the edge ring; a control unit configured to control the lifting mechanism so as to maintain a height of the top surface of the edge ring at a constant position based on a measurement result of the distance sensor; The substrate processing system of claim 7 further comprising:

9. a ring power supply configured to apply a voltage to the edge ring; a control unit configured to control a voltage applied to the edge ring from the ring power supply based on a measurement result of the distance sensor; The substrate processing system of claim 7 further comprising:

10. 10. The substrate processing system according to claim 8, wherein the control unit is configured to record the amount of wear of the edge ring based on the measurement results of the distance sensor, and to notify the user of the need to replace the edge ring based on the amount of wear.

11. a substrate processing chamber; a transfer chamber connected to the substrate processing chamber; a transfer mechanism disposed within the transfer chamber and configured to transfer substrates between the substrate processing chamber and the transfer chamber, the transfer mechanism including a transfer arm having a substrate holding fork; a plurality of measurement mechanisms provided on the substrate holding fork; Equipped with the plurality of measurement mechanisms include at least two of an electric potential sensor, a temperature sensor, a distance sensor, a camera, and a magnetic sensor; Substrate processing system.

12. The substrate processing system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of measurement mechanisms includes the potential sensor, the potential sensor configured to measure an electrical potential of a target member disposed within the substrate processing chamber.

13. The substrate processing system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of measurement mechanisms includes the temperature sensor, the temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of a target member disposed within the substrate processing chamber.

14. The substrate processing system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of measurement mechanisms includes the distance sensor, and the distance sensor is configured to measure a distance to a target member disposed in the substrate processing chamber.

15. a substrate processing chamber; a transfer chamber connected to the substrate processing chamber; a transfer mechanism disposed within the transfer chamber and configured to transfer substrates between the substrate processing chamber and the transfer chamber; a plurality of measurement mechanisms provided in the transport mechanism; Equipped with the plurality of measurement mechanisms include at least two of an electric potential sensor, a temperature sensor, a distance sensor, a camera, and a magnetic sensor; Substrate processing system.

16. 16. The substrate processing system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of measurement mechanisms includes the potential sensor, the potential sensor configured to measure an electrical potential of a target member disposed within the substrate processing chamber.

17. 16. The substrate processing system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of measurement mechanisms includes the temperature sensor, the temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of a target member disposed within the substrate processing chamber.

18. The substrate processing system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of measurement mechanisms includes the distance sensor, and the distance sensor is configured to measure a distance to a target member disposed in the substrate processing chamber.

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